


Understanding

by Tarlan



Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Character Study, Community: fanfic100, Community: mcsheplets, Episode Related, Episode: s03e10 The Return Part 1, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-09-22
Updated: 2008-09-22
Packaged: 2017-10-21 19:57:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/229152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodney and Daniel commiserate over beers on Earth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Understanding

**Author's Note:**

> For McSheplets #28. Earth and Fanfic100 prompt #88: Missing

"It's not that I don't like it here," Rodney slurred, then frowned. "Actually, I don't like it here."

"But?" Daniel prodded.

"I miss him."

"Miss whom?"

Rodney gave him what Rodney probably believed was a fierce glare but with his eyes bright and uneven from the alcohol, he merely looked a little stupid. Daniel sighed as several names came to mind but as this was misery rather than grief, he crossed Peter off the list. That left Carson, Radek and Colonel Sheppard. Somehow, as much as Rodney liked tossing ideas around with Radek, Daniel had a feeling it wasn't the Czech engineer that was uppermost in Rodney's thoughts, especially as Radek was collaborating with Rodney in Area 51, only three laboratories away. Carson was sitting only a few booths away talking with some geneticists and would probably join them soon. That left only Sheppard.

"He's trying to break in a new team, but I can see he misses his old team," Daniel murmured in consolation. He'd crossed paths with Sheppard on a couple of occasions at the SGC and had to wonder if he'd ever been as green as Sheppard's team members. Probably, he thought with a wince. If he recalled correctly, Sheppard's team were off-world, following up on some information regarding a medicinal plant on MZ9-4YC.

"I miss them too."

For a moment Daniel struggled to reestablish the thread of the conversation, and then it clicked; he didn't need to make a list of names for that statement. He'd only met Ronon and Teyla once but had enjoyed hearing about their different cultures during those few days spent in the Pegasus galaxy. Daniel had always believed he'd have more time later, once the Ori and their Priors were defeated. None of them could have anticipated finding a ship full of Ancients who wanted their city back. He sighed and took a deep swallow from his own glass, feeling a strange empathy with Rodney that had been missing when they were working together in Antarctica. They might not have seen a lot of each other over the past year or so but Rodney's experiences within the Pegasus galaxy had changed him in subtle ways, and had given them a new understanding of each other, and maybe a lot more respect despite the differences in their fields of expertise. Maybe it was the alcohol loosening his own tongue but, suddenly, he wanted to share something more with Rodney.

"I miss Jack."

Rodney gave him an incredulous look. "You can see O'Neill whenever you want, just need to make some egsc...excuse to go to D.C." His mouth drooped at the corners again. "Landry won't let me anywhere near the SGC."

"Two of his scientists resigned the last time you were there," Daniel responded blandly.

Rodney gave an unfocused glare. "Believe me, he won't miss those incompetent idiots." He stabbed a finger at Daniel. "Sam should have shown them the way out...months ago."

Daniel had to smile because it was a fault he shared with Sam, being too kind to let people go when their work wasn't good enough. He always hoped they just needed a little more time to settle in. Jack was more like Rodney, not suffering fools gladly, and he missed that lazy sarcasm that was such a contrast to Rodney's wordy and biting ridicule.

"I haven't gotten laid in weeks," Rodney lamented and instead of being horrified by too much information, Daniel could only commiserate once more because his own lover was in another galaxy right this moment, with Woolsey of all people.

"We had this..." Rodney shook his hand at the wrist in an unconscious, obscene gesture, and Daniel swallowed hard as he imagined Sheppard's invisible cock being jacked within those strong fingers, "...arrangement." Rodney blinked rapidly and stared at Daniel with a strange intensity. "You miss...Jack?"

Daniel looked down at the curl of his own fingers around an invisible column of hard yet silken flesh. "Yeah."

Sometimes it sucked being the ones left behind on Earth.

END


End file.
